Can a normal electrician install an EV charger?

EV charger installation in England and Wales is covered by Part P of the Building Regulations. Any work that involves a new circuit or modification to an existing circuit near a bathroom, in a kitchen, or outdoors must be carried out by a competent person. The installation of a 7kW wallbox — which requires a dedicated circuit from the consumer unit — meets this threshold.

A competent person is someone registered with an approved scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or ELECSA. They can self-certify the work, meaning they issue a Minor Works or Electrical Installation Certificate without separate building control involvement. An unregistered person can still carry out the work, but they must submit a building control application and have the installation inspected independently — which adds time and cost.

In Scotland, Building (Scotland) Regulations apply, and similar competent-person self-certification schemes are in place. Wales follows the same Part P rules as England.

EV chargers look like a straightforward electrical job, but they have specific requirements that catch out electricians without EV training.

Sustained high current draw

A 7kW charger draws 32A continuously, often for several hours overnight. Standard domestic appliances rarely do this. The wiring, circuit protection, and consumer unit capacity all need to be assessed with this sustained load in mind — not just the peak demand.

PME earthing requirements

Most UK homes are connected to the grid via a TN-C-S (PME) supply, which uses the neutral conductor as the earth. The 18th edition of BS 7671 (Amendment 2, 2022) introduced specific requirements for how EV chargers must be earthed when connected to a PME supply. Without the correct protection — typically an RCD rated at 30mA plus an additional earth electrode — there is a risk of electric shock from the vehicle chassis if the neutral conductor is interrupted upstream.

Smart charger commissioning

Most modern chargers require Wi-Fi setup, app connection, and in some cases registration with an energy tariff for demand flexibility. For the charger to qualify for the OZEV grant, it must be an approved model with smart functionality enabled. Commissioning this correctly is part of a compliant installation.

The OZEV EV Chargepoint Grant covers 75% of installation costs, up to £500, for eligible renters and leasehold flat owners. The grant is deducted from your invoice by the installer — you do not apply separately. This only works if the installer is registered on the OZEV installer portal.

OZEV authorisation requires the electrician to complete EV-specific training, register with OZEV, and agree to only install charger models on the OZEV-approved product list. It is an additional step beyond NICEIC or NAPIT membership, and not all electricians have done it.

Three things to confirm before you book:

All installers on the Power EV network are NICEIC or NAPIT registered, EV-trained, and OZEV-authorised. When you get a quote through us, every credential above is already in place.